Eddy Megwa, Lagos State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has appealed to the Federal Government to approve the proposed Trust Fund for the scheme.
Mr Megwa made the appeal during the 2021 NYSC Lagos Media Relations Recap on Tuesday in Ikeja.
According to him, if the NYSC Trust Fund is approved, it will go a long way to help the scheme to sustain the financial requirements to carry on.
He said that the skills acquisition programme had kept the NYSC going as the number of graduates being mobilised annually were not close to few jobs available in the country.
Mr Megwa said that corps members undergo a 10-day comprehensive induction training in different handworks during NYSC orientation camp.
” Over 30 per cent of a recently passed out batch have small scale businesses of their own, they are creating wealth through the skill acquisition they learnt in during and post orientation camp.
” And that is commendable because that is the only way we can get through in this nation, in China today, almost every family is producing something and that is a way of nation’s keep going well,” he added.
Mr Megwa expressed delight over the level of assistance extended to corps members deployed to Lagos for the orientation camp and primary assignments.
He declared that the level of rejection of corps members had reduced drastically and applauded the Lagos State Government for its collaboration in achieving the success of the scheme.
“The LASG has been very supportive and corps members here are happy because they are embraced in their places of primary assignments, while state Ministry of Special Duties are doing the needful.
“During the COVID-19 lockdown, corps members were sent home in line with the federal government directive but they felt pains of the people and called me that they were tired of staying home.
“They mobilised themselves and through the SA they learned, made facemasks, hand sanitisers, antibacterial hand wash and further contributed their allowances, buy food items and shared as palliatives.
“The palliative was so much that we extended to the people in the communities, local government and state government which made the governor to write me a commendation letter,” he added.
Speaking at the event, Adeleye Ajayi, Lagos Council of NUJ, applauded NYSC for its activities and contributions of corp members to the development of the state.
The NUJ chairman stressed the need for NYSC to post corps members closer home.
Mr Megwa, however, noted that the idea of NYSC was to promote national unity and explore other states outside their states of origin while serving in rural areas.
NAN
